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CLARE’S Brothers of Charity, which is leading the way in helping people live with disabilities, is now explor- ing changes in the role of education.

The charity, which is the first in the country to assist people to live in the community and make their own deci- sions about where and how they live, is trying to break the mould when it comes to special education.

The organisation held a special con- ference in Ennis last week which was addressed by those who see a more inclusive way forward for education.

Cyndi Pitonyak, a special educa- tion co-ordinator for a school district in Virginia and a lecturer at Bradford University, does not believe that spe- cial education should be a segregated place.

The college lecturer is advocating an inclusive programme for children with disabilities that gets rid of spe- cial units and special schools.

“The relevant question is what do they do in those units? What do they do that they cannot do in regular

classes?” she asked.

For the last 19 years Ms Pitonyak has worked in a school system where both the class curriculum teacher and the remedial teacher work together teaching all students.

Children with special needs take part in the regular class programme by completing lessons that work in unison with the rest of the class.

Ms Pitonyak gave the example that while children are being called to read aloud, a child who may not have very good reading abilities and needs to work on people recognition could call out those that are to read in turn.

Each person is benefiting from the class and learning.

The education co-ordinator admits however that there will be times when a child with disabilities may not be able to find a niche in a par- ticular lesson. At this point the child could leave the class for special tu1- tion in areas of need.

“It is about inclusion. Autism or any disability is just one little piece of who someone 1s,” she said.

At the conference in the Temple Gate Hotel last week 55 people from 13 different organisations joined the Brothers of Charity.

Those attending came from all ar- eas of education including special needs assistants, class teachers and school inspectors.

They heard that while major chang- es cannot be achieved overnight, and trial and error is going to be part of the course, a little change everyday is ee Nm NNR BES.S

Ms Pitonyak believes that if teach- ers and resource teachers agree to work together for 45 minutes, two days a week it could start a new way of education, that would lead to teams teaching a class rather than an individual.

“Tt is about creating a school where everyone fits,” she said.

WHEN Miltown got their 2008 show on the road and started training in Hennessy Memorial Park in the depths of winter, Michael McDon- agh was always on the move.

It wasn’t cajoling his players to greater effort with ball drills or wire- to-wire runs. He leaves that to others. Some say it part of his own fitness regime, doing his own laps. Others say it was to exercise his mind for the club, whether it’s on or off the field.

Thinking about teeing up a chal- lenge against a Kerry club through his contacts down there; the con- struction of the stand that Hennessy Memorial Park deserves; how to keep the senior players off the beer during Scou Samhraidh Willie Clancy.

All difficult assignments in their own very different ways, but Mc- Donagh loves the unique challenges involved in all three. All because this is where he wants to be and in a mat- ter of fact way describes how it was always going to be.

‘““Miltown is where you come from and where you’ll end up,” he says, starting off in the third person. “I was always involved with the club — I

never lost contact. I would always go to the games, even when I was caught up with the county board. I always knew I was coming back. I always thought it almost natural that I would try to give something back when I got older, after all the club through the camaraderie had given me so much when I was younger.”

Here’s the thing — sometimes he thinks of those younger days when walking around the field on those training nights. The people who put everything into Miltown — John Rei- dy, Mickey Wilson, Noel Walsh and Michael Mahoney. The list goes on…

He name checks them, giving ex- tra weight to some of them. Michael Mahoney: “because he is what I’d call a mainstay”. Noel Walsh: “he’d come all the way from Limerick for club meetings and never miss one”. Pete Cleary: “he came from America to train underage teams”. Joe Cullen: ere tors Oe bt-D (elo eae

“When you live in a small parish, the GAA is the focal point of the community. When I was growing up the only place to go was the football field — everyone went there. It was the centre of the parish and you were brought up with that. You went there

after school, you went there at the weekends. There was always a ball, whether you were in national school or secondary school.

“You’d always watch the seniors training. They were the team of the club, the club was built around the senior team. Your year was judged on the performance of the senior team. That’s why 1985 and ’90 are remembered — because we won the championship in those years.”

The closest Miltown have come to a championship in the intervening 18 years — save a final appearance in Doonbeg and against Doonbeg in “91 — was seeing the Tulla Pipe Band parade the Lissycasey and Doonbeg footballers (1998) and the Sixmileb- ridge and St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield hurlers (1999) around their field.

At least there are some links be- tween those days and now. ‘Team trainer Michael Murray was Mil- town’s photographer on those county final days, chronicling Hennessy Memorial Park’s second coming as final venue.

Then there’s Michael McDonagh link to those times.

Those county finals, not to mind a string of National League games

in both codes wouldn’t have been played in Miltown, but for his input, not to mind the contribution made by those 100,000 or so worms that came all the way from Holland.

“Those worms,” he says, “did a great job, being a vital part of the Prunty pitch we put down. How good the project was can be gauged in the fact that a lot of clubs have followed our lead with the pitch.

“We went after those big games and we went after them hard. It was great to bring hurling back to west Clare. Before that we didn’t own our field and wanted to purchase it. John Reidy was the main driver, Michael Mahoney was another. We had great help from the community and from the Hynes family who sold us the ntatee

“Now if you went up there any night, you could have anything up to 40 or 50 young lads up there kick- ing ball. It’s great. It’s what it’s all about.”

Loves being there himself and do- ing laps of the field. Who knows, if the lads out on the field have as much passion for it, they might walk be- hind the band yet.

LOCAL community and voluntary groups in Shannon are being urged to submit applications for funding un- der the community grants scheme.

Around €5,300 is being made available under the local authority initiative this year. Under the scheme, up to 20 groups receive sums rang- ing between €200 and €500, every year.

The scheme got underway in 1997 and since then several groups have benefited. Last year, 15 groups re- ceived atotal of €5,100, while €5,200 was split between 15 groups the pre- vious year. Some 19 groups received a total of €5,000 in 2005, while 16 organisations received €5,000 ben- efited in 2004. In 2003, 20 groups received a total of €4,600.

Shannon Town Clerk Tomas Mac-

Cormaic is now inviting interested groups to formally apply for the auterenbetse

A number of guidelines have been compiled to ensure the applications follow a particular standard. One of these is that the projects are designed to improve the quality of life for the people of Shannon.

‘ For the project to be grant aided it must show aclear community focus,” said Mr MacCormaic.

“The project must be directly re- lated to one or other of the follow- ing categories: the undertaking of special community projects, artistic proposals, projects which generate civic pride and involve local people in the improvement of the town,” he added.

The applications are open to or- ganisations, voluntary groups and residents associations within the

functional area of Shannon Town Council.

Before the grant assistance is awarded all applications must sub- mit, where applicable, documenta- tions detailing fully the project con- tent, together with details of costs eee

“Applicants must show that the project is well planned and give indi- cations of potential future uses of the project. The town councillors’ deci- sion will be influenced by the amount of applicant’s own resources contrib- uted to the project,’ he added.

The 15 groups to benefit last year were Clare Haven, Shannon Com- munity Radio, Gleann an Oir resi- dents group, Newtown FC, the Fami- ly Resource Centre, SEED, the music project, youth exchange project and summer camp project, the Shannon Graveyard Maintenance Commit-

tee, Shannon Musical Society, Wolfe Tones camogie club, Duchas na Sionna, Shannon Handball Club and Shannon Olympics.

Last year, special awards — Liosta na Laochra — were presented to three groups which have contributed im- mensely to local community life over a long number of years. These were Shannon Community Games, Shan- non Musical Society and the local chess club.

Over the years, several other groups benefited under the community grants scheme, including the Broth- ers of Charity, Shannon Meteors Trampoline Club, St Senan’s RFC, Icarus Drama Group, Le Chéile, Shannon Swim and Leisure Club.

The application forms are available from Mr MacCormaic. The closing date for receipt of completed appli- cations is August 31.

THE progress goes on. Great credit to everybody. Slightly dodgy at times in Semple Stadium where Limer- ick failed miserably to come up to expectations. The real successes there were Pat Vaughan, Jonath- an Clancy, and the midfield pair- ing of Brian O’Connell and Colin Lynch with Gerry O’Grady keeping O’Shaughnessy in check. Now the stakes get bigger, the barriers higher. How good in reality is this Clare team? Who can honestly say with certainty? Tipp will be a true test for everybody. Coming within five or six points of them at this stage will be undisputed progress.

Defeating them will in fact mean that Clare are up with the best. For-

get about the bruhaha about the lo- cal set-up. There is no responsibility there for Mike McNamara and Co. Their duty is to get the best out of the county team. There will be hard choices before the Munster final. Both in placings and personnel. The first is to whether to carry on with the team building or go all-out for a ante

Winning this final will demand a combination of cuteness and courage from the sideline. Beating Tipp 1s not beyond the Banner. We have a good track record in this area. This is the championship and anything can hap- pen. At this point I will set out my stall. The loss of Brendan Bugler will be keenly felt. Bugler is a very flexi- ble player with good pace and hands. Yet on reflection Niall Moran scored

five points from play in Thurles.

I will take it that O’Grady will be able to field out. Having marshaled O’Shaughnessy I would assign the Crusheen man to mark Kelly. Cor- bett makes much more play than Kelly nowadays, however, and his lightning pace will create problems unless counteracted. The aim should be to limit the supply to the Tipp dangermen, space to indulge their skills must be denied them. Their forwards must be crowded out. Any forward can be frustrated. How to do it without fouling holds the key.

My plan would envisage the Banner fielding the strongest halfback line possible and withdrawing the mid- fielders into it for the set pieces such as puckouts, frees, sidelines etc. In the fullback line I would move Frank

Lohan to No. 2 and bring back Brian O’Connell to run with Lar Corbett when he goes roaming.

A crowded half line should help Conor Plunkett. Playing Pat Vaughan at midfield will facilitate this. Vaughan is good at tidying up in broken play. Up front the hard decision will pertain to the No. 14 slot. Barry Nugent put himself in the frame again when he came on against Limerick. All through the League Paul Curran was one of the stars of the Tipp defence. Who gave him his toughest hour? Fergal Lynch. Clare should not spurn this obvious opportunity now. The time has come to start the Clooney-Quin man again. There is no room for both Lynch and Nugent. This time I would give the start to Lynch.

Keep it simple. Crowd the defence to deny Tipp the space. Play the Clare’s half forward line deep towards mid- field. Put the ball inside them for Clancy and Griffin to exploit it. Vary it by putting the high ball down on Lynch. And the team to do tt:

yesterday.

“Comprehensive civil partnership, as proposed in the heads of bill, is a major milestone towards equality. The Gay Clare group sup- port access to full equality through civil marriage and this bill is a fun- damental step forward towards this goal.

“The provisions outlined last week will resolve many immediate and pressing issues faced by lesbian and gay couples in Clare and will

also provide a platform for further progress.”

“The proposals in the heads of bill however do not provide for legal rec- ognition of the many same-sex cou- ples, particularly women, who are parenting children together, leaving these parents and their children out- side the protection of the State,” con- tinued the Gay Clare spokesperson.

“This is of critical importance to parents _WOCG MMO eCeDUROUODN(ONKoINME-UITe! Gay Clare urges the government to bring

forward proposals to address this legal gap.”

If passed the civil partnership bill will also have huge impli- cations for co-habiting and unmarried cou- joo

More than 20 mem-

bers of Fianna Fail par- liamentary party signed a motion questioning elements of the bill last week. Following an emergency meet- ing, a party spokesman said that there was “broad support” for the bill. The parliamentary party decided to refer the bill to its justice committee for further consideration.

NO sooner had the Tommy Murphy Cup landed in Clare in 2004 than David Russell was confonted by the first real crossroads of his foot- ball career. Approached by the then Clare senior manager John Kennedy, Russell along with fellow Clarecas- tle and county team-mate Stephen Hickey were advised that it would be in their best interests for their inter- county careers that they transfer to a senior club.

It was a predicament that Rus- sell had never pondered before. His family genes were firmly rooted in Clarecastle GAA throughout the gen- erations. His father Paschal had won four county hurling championships for the club throughout his distin- guished career but while David was a dual player, football was his first love and with the game constantly struggling to stay afloat in a pre- dominantly hurling dominated club, he decided to adhere to his mentor’s advise.

News of Kennedy’s counsel spread quickly and the pair were contacted by Eire Og player-manager James Hanrahan who made it clear that they would be welcome at the En- nis club. So after much deliberation and banter from both sides, Russell, Hickey along with two others trans-

ferred across the rival divide to their near neighbours. ; ;

Russell knew a lot of the Eire Og players through his soccer con- nections and had played with Alan Malone and Cathal Shannon at county minor and Under 21 level but integration was still initally difficult but after a couple of games, even the most stubborn panelists were convinced that the newcomers were pulling in the same direction.

The key galvanising moment for Russell came in his first champi- onship season in the quarter-final of 2005 when Doonbeg knocked them out of the championship. Due to sickness, Russell didn’t play that day but watching from the sideline, he observed a different perspective, principally the aversion towards the townies by their rivals and it had a unforgetable effect on him. In fact he attributes a lot of the credit of their county final success a year later to that game as the players realised they needed to become a more resilient side if they were to finally make the breakthrough.

‘2006 was definitely a knock-on ef- fect from 2005. I realised how much most other teams had a distaste for the club and considered us soft

touches and we had a meeting only a week after the Doonbeg game and decided that we were going to have to be a stronger, fitter and harder team in 2006. And it showed as we went through the championship unbeaten and won the county final to cap off a Super year.”

Russell was a mainstay in _ that championship winning side, starting all seven games at wing-back but that elation turned to frustration last year. He was forced to sit out the majority of the championship after rupturing his medial ligament in the Clare Cup Soccer final while playing for Av- enue Utd.

“It was the worst injury I have ever had. I was out for four months and to stand on the sideline along with Michael O’Regan and Mark Kelly it was so frustrating. Fair play to the rest of the lads, the team did very well to win tough games and reach the final and I did make an appear- ance at half-time 1n the decider but it wasn’t meant to be. Personally, from the highs of 2006 to the very lows of 2007, that has really made me more determined this year and hopefully I can remain injury free and move on for 2008.”

From being a blow-in four years

ago, Russell is now captain of the side for the year, a position he could never envisaged when he first arrived at the club.

‘remember our manager Leo Ryan called me over six weeks ago and told me he would like to make me captain and even though I am from Clarecastle and had all my tuition in Clarecastle, it was one of my proud- est moments. To be able to follow the likes of Alan Malone, Peter Cosgrove and Shane Daniels last year is a huge thrill and I’m just looking forward to the first championship game. The league has never been a top priority in the club, the championship has always been where we perform and after getting to the final two years in succession and only losing one match in fourteen proves our pedigree. The motivation is back and the hunger is back to atone for 2007.”

Clarecastle men Russell and Hick- ey have played an integral part in that championship consistency. Maybe there’s some truth in the old magpie saying that ‘one’s for sorrow, two’s for joy’.

THE Bunratty Environmental Group is set for a revamp, in an effort to en- sure the appearance of the local area is maintained.

The group was set up in 1997. Since then, some of its members have moved away, while others have passed on.

According to one of its founding members, Ann Jones, locals are now being invited to join the group and play a role in keeping the area clean.

“We are trying to get new members. We want new blood and new ideas. Our aim is to keep the area tidy and

provide extra services for tourists and locals alike,” she said.

She is particularly appealing to lo- cal business people and young peo- ple who have moved to the area, to get involved.

“Our children are married and have young families. There are a lot of 35-year-olds living in the area, with small families. They are the future,” she pointed out.

Since the group was set up, it has played a role in flower beds being put in place, while picnic tables and maps, indicating the location of bed and breakfast outlets, have also been welcome additions in the locality.

“A lot of the bed and breakfasts were cut off, so we put maps on dis- play at Meadows and Byrne and at the entrance to the folk park,” she said.

‘We have also kept an eye on what has been happening in the area with regards planning,’ she added.

“It is an awkward area to have as a community as it 1s spread out so much. There is the Wells, Clonmoney and also Bunratty, but we would con- sider them all the one area. It is hard to get to the heart of the community, when it 1s spread out so much,” said Ms Jones.

Allied to the anticipated addition of

new members to the committee, Ms Jones is also optimistic that the local graveyard will be extended.

‘We have been hoping for the past five to 10 years to get an extension to Bunratty graveyard. We have more or less acquired land and just need to get planning permission and get it through.

“Because it 1s such a historical area, there will be a lot of hold-ups and we have to carry out an archaeological dig, but hopefully we will get it,” she said.

Ms Jones is encouraging anyone in- terested in helping out with the group to contact her on 087 7793563.

SHARON Collins denied at all times that she set up the email lyingeyes98@yahoo.ie but the pros- ecution claimed there was ample evi- dence that she had, and alleged she wrote ‘vicious’ emails.

Addressing the jury in her closing speech, Una Ni Raifeartaigh, BL for the prosecution, said there were 14 points which proved that Sharon Collins was ‘Lying Eyes.’

1.The person who sent the emails

from the lyingeyes account must have had access to all three computers used — the Advent computer at the Downes and Howard family business, the Iridium laptop which was located at PJ Howard and Sharon Collins’s home (Ballybeg House) and the Toshiba laptop stolen from Downes and elec tuer

2. Because of the times of usage of the three computers.

3.The content of the emails sent by someone calling herself ‘Sharon’. 4. The knowledge shown in

the emails. According to the prosecution, the sender had indepth knowledge of the personal lives and movements of the Howards.

5. The language of the emails was similar to the letters Sharon Collins wrote to the DPP and her letter to the Gerry Ryan show. For example, the use of the words ‘unbearable’ and ‘vulnerable.’

6. The consistency between the emails and the plan being carried out. For example the ricin, getting rid of the computers and references to keys and photographs.

7. The general user activity on the computer.

Searches for weight loss, inheritance rights and kitchens were interwoven with searches for hitmen and assassins.

8. Because of the times of the user activity.

9. The consistency between Sharon Collins’s movements and her emails. 10. The consistency between email activity and phone calls, particularly on August 15 and 16, when the deal was being closed on the ‘hit’.

11. The fact that there has been

no sign of Maria Marconi on the computers indicates that Ms Collins was lyingeyes.

12. Sharon Collins’ mother’s maiden name, Cronin, was used, particularly on the application form on hitman. 13. The fact that she made certain admissions in relation to the FedEx tracking number, for the €15,000 package she sent to Las Vegas, was the “smoking gun”.

14. The user went in and out of

the sharoncollins@eircom.net

and lyingeyes98 @yahoo.ie email rererere) enslave

CLARE County Council has re- sponded to local fears that a planned housing development adjacent to the Rocky Road could cause irreparable damage to the area.

The council has refused outline planning permission to Therese Mc- Carthy for 16 homes on a site adja- cent to the Rocky Road.

A number of local residents ob- jected to the development including landowner George Gallery of Rock- mount, Ballybeg, Ennis.

In a submission lodged on his be- half by legal firm John Casey and Co, Mr Gallery expressed concern that if planning permission was granted, it would be irretrievably detrimental to the Rocky Road.

“Whilst our client objects, in prin- ciple, to the granting of planning permission for the construction of

16 houses on the site of the proposed development as he feels that the pro- posed development is out of keeping with the character and scale of exist- ing buildings in the immediate vicin- ity our client’s main concern relates to the despoiling of the Rocky Road and the irreparable damage that would be occasioned to if it is trans- formed from a predominantly pedes- trian amenity walkway into a major vehicular thoroughfare accessing the proposed development.”

The objection adds: “Our client uses the Rocky Road to access his lands and regularly brings stock and agricultural machinery and equip- ment along same in connection with his farming activities.

‘Our client, and his predecessors in title, have always enjoyed unhindered and uninterrupted use of the Rocky Road — which is on their lands — in connection with their normal farm-

ing activities.

The council has refused planning permission on a number of grounds. The local authority ruled that the proposal would be premature in rela- tion to an existing deficiency in the provision of water supply and sewage treatment.

The council stated: “In the absence of a master-plan in relation to the comprehensive servicing of lands along the Ballybeg Road, the pro- posal would therefore be contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area.

The council found that the pro- posed development would endanger public safety by reason of a serious traffic hazard. The council also ruled that the proposal, due to its proximi- ty to and access onto the Rocky Road public right of way, would result in a negative effect on the existing amen- ity value of this route.

THE evolutionary rise of Ennisty- mon in recent years has not only been fueled by their senior status, the foundation for the club’s newfound optimism also lies in their emerg- ing underage structure that has borne fruit over the last eighteen months. With many clubs struggling for num- bers in the modern climate, Ennisty- mon realised that restructuring was necessary at underage level in order to pay dividends for the future of the club as a whole.

Relegation from senior in 2004 was one of the sparks that jolted the club into action but crucially, they bounced back immediately to the top flight the folowing year and since then, the young senior side has pro- gressed with every passing year.

In addition, the groundwork done by Minor board Chairman JJ Crowe and his predecessor Conor Fitzgerald at underage level means that all the signs are positive for the future of the club.

2007 was a fitting return for all the behind-the-scenes work done in the club. In the adult ranks, they con- tested three finals at junior B, senior B and Under 21B and although the latter was their only success, the club

are quite content that they are mov- ing in the right direction. But it is at underage level that the rewards are finally being reaped. Ennistymon captured both the Under 12 and Mi- nor Division | titles last year but they also reached the penultimate stage of the Under 14 and Under 16 Division 2 championships. They have already contested the Under 16 Division two final this year and reached the Under 12 semi-final, as well as being un- beaten so far in the Under 14 cham- pionship. So what have been the key factors in this tranformation?

“First of all, we have very good structures in place” explains Minor Board chairman JJ Crowe, “and have a very good group involved from un- der 8 to minor. Every Wednesday, the under 8’s and under 10’s train and we could have sixty children in the field and that goes on from the first of May to the end of September. The club has done tremendously well at underage in recent years and each team is well organised. We also bring in outside coaches for teams at certain intervals to freshen teams up and we also get great support from the parents.”

“One major plus to us is that we have our own field and dressing

rooms now and that has given us a base to develop at all levels. I feel that overall the standards have im- proved immensely. The effort is be- ing put in and every team is com- petitive whether it is division one or division two and the fact that we have our own clubhouse and grounds, pro- viding a meeting place for everyone is a major help.”

The Minor Championship was the most celebrated title as it is the flagship event at underage level and Crowe admits that due to the con- tinuous success that their opponents in the final, Kilmurry/Ibrickane have had in recent years, winning that de- cider was a considerable accomplish- ment.

‘The minor victory gave us a great lift altogether. We were underdogs all the way but we still felt it could be our year and beating Kilmurry/ Ibrickane in the final was a major achievement for the club because we have so much respect for them for all their success at underage level. They are the model and they have been for the last ten or twelve years.”

Still, underage titles are no guaran- tee of adult success in the future but Crowe feels that the proper frame-

work is now in place right through- out the club and that all augers well for the senior side to make a major impact on the championship in the next few years

“It is a very young senior team and now you are going to have 15 or 18 new players boosting the senior panel after this year. All of them are very good footballers and we also provid- ed the captain of the county minor team Michael McDonagh.

“In our minor side last year, we had twelve players who were under 17 so I think it 1s going to take three or four years before we hit the senior championship with a serious chance of winning it.”

Qualifying from the group will be the senior’s initial aim in this year’s championship. If they can achieve that feat, it would be the first time that the club has qualified for a quar- ter-final since the group stages were introduced. It would be a significant step in their overall development plan and set the standard for their up and coming talent to emulate.